Got to admit that it has been quite a few years since I last visited Muskegon, Michigan. Even though it is my mother’s birthplace, I can only think of two or three trips to the city (not passing by on the highway) in the past 25 years.

Over the holiday weekend we were in Muskegon for a wedding and were very pleased to see the vivid progress made in revitalizing the downtown area and waterfront. Are there remnant signs of urban decline, of course, but there are many more examples of vibrancy and vibe. It’s no wonder that the city won the 2018 Strongest Town Award.

The Shoreline Inn

New condos, public art displays/tours, trendy dining and drinking establishments, adaptive reuse projects, multiuser trails, and entertainment venues are sprouting throughout the heart of the city. It is quite exciting to observe. Beyond downtown, neighborhoods across the city appear to be doing quite well too.

The Lake House

When the city began attracting Great Lakes cruise ships a few years back, I wondered what the attraction might be. Now that I’ve been back to Muskegon, I can see how the city has parlayed the cruise ships, it’s lovely lakeside location, and the high speed Lake Express cross-lake ferry to Milwaukee into a winning strategy.

Source: muskegon-mi.gov

WATCH mUSkeGOn! is not just a nifty catchphrase, but also an accurate description of the exciting turnaround taking place. Well-done, Muskegon!